Slices of Cleuce
by Sibilant Whisper
Summary: 30 word prompt challenge. Different snippets about the two halves that make up Monster High's power couple.


Sibilant Whisper/Sibil89

**Note**: Some of these may turn into actual stories but for now I wanted to do a little more than sentences, so I decided on drabbles. They're just ideas and headcanons I have. Don't take them too seriously, just enjoy.

I used wordgenerator dot net/random-word-generator dot php. It isn't one of those boring ones, using everyday words like 'cup/book/sad'. You may have to sift through some odd ones but it is worth it.

xXx

1- **Guardianless**

He and Ghoulia were probably two of the few monsters who knew Cleo could be a great listener. Deuce was a lot more tight-lipped about his personal problems than people realized, but she was the _one_ ghoul he trusted to spill those troubles to. Whenever the subject of his father came up and he couldn't brush it off with a shrug and a laugh, resting his head in her lap while she soothed his snakes and he vented was the only way to feel better; trusting his heart with the ghoul who understood the recurrent ache of an absent parent.

2- **Inopportune**

"Hey guys have you- _Oh my ghoul! _Sorry! Sorry!" Frankie backed away hastily, closing her eyes and attempting to shut the door with a slam. Her hand was caught in the rush, popping off and dropping to the floor. The stitched up ghoul gave an embarrassed squeak before opening the door for her hand to scramble out. A moment of silence passed before Deuce laughed, trying in vain to stifle it in the soft skin of her stomach. Cleo rolled her eyes from where she was reclined, one bare leg thrown over Deuce's shoulder.

"That ghoul has THE worst timing."

3- **Vantage**

Cleo was not a ghoul to waste a golden opportunity for the sake of popularity or put herself at a disadvantage. When she wanted something, she had a _terrifying_ sense of ambition. The pressure to live up to her father's royal standards and avoid Nefera's vile brand of criticism could be grueling at times, and it wasn't something she liked to deal with. So when she went out of her way to befriend a shy, nerdy zombie and date a gorgon boy her family would never approve of, it was that much easier to see how genuine her feelings were.

4- **Pyramid** (Double)

"_Careful!_" Cleo screeched, her irritation seeping down to the newbies at the bottom of the pyramid formation. She was being generous, letting them try the move so early, but so far these _trembling peasants _were proving unworthy. "If you can't even pull off a simple move like this -" There was a sickening lurch of movement below and Clawdeen was crying out a warning from the sidelines , but they were toppling over, Cleo slipping from the top and straight for the floor. She braced for the crash, only to find herself landing in a strong set of arms. Confused, Cleo opened her eyes to see a chiseled jaw line and her own reflection in a pair of red shades.

"Hey, that could've been nasty - you ok?" Deuce asked, a brow raised in concern. Cleo nodded.

"I-I'm fine, thank you -"

"Cleo!" A voice cried. Clawd was suddenly there, all wide eyes and worry. Immediately Deuce was putting her back on her feet and she was being embraced by her boyfriend. "Thanks, bro." Clawd smiled at Deuce, who just shrugged and looked away.

"No problem, dude." He walked off; Cleo wondered how he'd made it across the distance to catch her so quickly.

5- **Dominance**

Most of the guys had sweet, modest ghouls. Oh, they had that spark of assertiveness when it came to things they were passionate about like shopping, friendships or their favorite sporting events. Ghouls were hardly pushovers (_especially_ when they banded together), but he was certain the guys preferred it when they weren't being nagged or tugged along to the maul all the time. Cleo on the other hand, was pretty dominating all around. She liked to take the reins, tell you where, when and how she wanted something. If his friends didn't understand how..._hot_ that could be, well, whatever.

6- **Headtire**

"Is it too much?" Cleo asked, posing in front of the large mirror in her bedroom. An array of jewelry was laid across her bedspread, birthday gifts from her Aunt Nefertiti. The most elaborate piece was the headdress, a winged crown of gold with touches of royal turquoise. "I love it but I feel like it's missing a gem or two." Deuce pushed away from the wall he was leaning against and walked over, embracing her from behind. "The only gems you need are those eyes of yours," He said simply, pressing a kiss to her cheek, and she melted.

7- **Attar**

Cleo had a fondness for perfumes; her collection of scents was almost as vast as that of her shoes or Deuce's shades. They were a good indicator of her mood and Deuce learned early how to respond accordingly. She needed her space when she smelled of orchids, but it was okay to be extra handsy when the seductive scent of roses wafted from her. Rarely, the combination of lilac and that faraway look meant she _really_ needed him by her side today. Most importantly, people needed to be _warned_ if the deceptive sweetness of marigold was left in her wake.

8- **Bullied**

Deuce figured a good part of Cleo's deal when it came to her attitude and regal ego stemmed from the way she was railroaded at home. Her father was far too concerned with enforcing outdated values from a time they no longer lived in, and her sister had a sadistic need to sabotage and walk over others to get what she wanted, no matter the cost. Cleo would never call it bullying, she tried to consider it just another part of the royal lifestyle, an aggravating but necessary evil. Still, deep down a part of her knew better than that.

9- **Incineration**

"Then they put a coin on the mouth or the eyes - you know, to pay for passage across the river Styx - and sometimes they bury them, but mom said most of the ones she's been to they light this _huge_ funeral pyre- what?" Deuce broke off in the middle of the story, glancing down at the ghoul in his arms as she shuddered. She shook her head and waved for him to continue. "It's nothing, I'm listening." Deuce raised an eyebrow but smiled, continuing his explanation. He knew the idea of cremation had to be strange for an Egyptian mummy.

10- **Hypersensibility**

It wasn't common knowledge (since even _if_ you had the audacity to risk finding out on your own, it was a tossup between which price wasn't worth suffering: Cleo's wrath, a venomous snakebite or being stonewalled for a long, _long_ time), but the snakes on Deuce's head and the surrounding scales were more sensitive than they looked. It was something Cleo and her freshly manicured fingernails took delightful advantage of each and every time they made out. And if the uncontrollable shudder it induced in her boyfriend gave her a pleasant rush of power? Well, it's not like Deuce _minded_.

11- **Appreciated**

As someone who was constantly being told that he wasn't living up to his potential (Greek mothers, so _dramatic_), and always compared to his cousins, Deuce was one monster who could understand where Cleo was coming from when she moaned about expectations and pressure from family. Family _was_ complicated; he'd meant what he said. _Hades_, even his ghoul's family wrote him off as some dimwitted slacker who would never amount to anything. At the end of the day, it was nice to be appreciated for who he was by someone known for her love of the finer things in life.

12- **Epigraphist**

Cleo had plenty of practice carving hieroglyphs into hard stone (proven by her nicely toned arms), since it was a practice Ramses insisted on his daughters continuing as part of their royal scaritage. This, combined with her ridiculous knack for getting straight A's in their dead languages class, made her a _godsend_ when a stressed out gorgon needed a last minute favor. So when Medusa's face lit up with delight at the stone tablet that read: "_Happy Name Day, Medusa_" written in perfect, ancient Greek in time for the party, Deuce knew that his mother had been officially won over.

13- **Elapid** (Double)

The snakes on Deuce's head were called Green Mambas, a _highly venomous_ species that could be temperamental at the best of times. Heath Burns knew all of this, since an emergency trip to the hospital when he and Deuce were in Skelementary together had mentally scarred him (so _maybe_ he should've asked the kid he'd never met _before_ he attempted to pet his live hair, but c'mon he'd been **eight**). Cleo however, seemed to be the only one they wouldn't dare harm, but he'd panicked the first time he saw it happen.

"Cleo!" He abandoned his open locker and ran over. "Are you okay? We gotta get the school nurse! No, wait, anti-venom! Call the hospital!" They stared.

"Oh my Ra, what are you _on_ about?" Cleo asked, her hand still hovering where she'd been petting her boyfriend's hair.

"Dude, it's just a dry bite, chill. They didn't actually hurt her-I'd know."

"..._Huh_?"

"Oh, you're all harmless cuties, aren't you?" she cooed, stroking the head of the one that had bitten her and laughing when the others fought for her attention. "Just a little love bite, I _know_..." Heath stood there gaping for a moment before turning and walking away.

14- **Recollect**

Sometimes it only took a single word about the past, and it happened often in their Ancient History class. Mr. Wight had a tendency to drone on about fallen empires, one of his favorite subjects. Deuce noticed the way Cleo's eyes would glaze over, lost in a trance. He knew a flashback when he saw one (his mom got all nostalgic on him at _least_ three times a day). It was when she turned mournful that Deuce would let out some crass joke, sending the class into peals of laughter and bringing Cleo back to the present with a smile.

15- **Slither**

For a non-gorgon, Cleo moved rather sinuously. Her sashaying curves had a hypnotic effect on him that had nothing to do with her abilities. "Deucey," she'd sing, beckoning him even as she pressed him up against his locker and slid a hand into his hair. There was a content hiss in response, and her mouth was on his before he could even ask. Deuce smiled; he didn't really _need_ a reason to say yes to whatever her favor was, but the incentive was nice. Minutes later a pleased Cleo sauntered away; he watched. His ghoul moved better than any reptile.

16- **Jadeite**

The first time she saw his eyes, it was an accidental glance that resulted in a very unpleasant stoning for several hours. Feeling encased and frozen; it shared similarities with dark sarcophagi she did _not_ appreciate. It had taken some pleading but once she realized how truly upset he was about the slip up (she hadn't known about Smokey then) she conceded and forgave him at last. After the incident he began to pick up on the sudden addition of green gems to her wardrobe. Neither mentioned it, but it thrilled him whenever she wore that particular shade of jade.

17- **Whoremonger**

There were times when Cleo's temper and royal attitude impressively collaborated, particularly it was on the creative insults she came up with when she was understandably (or _not_) incensed. Cleo could strip a monster down to his bones with just her words and a derisive look for added effect. There was a top ten list among their friends, which included 'scabies ridden bargain bin sideshow' (Toralei), and 'eye searing runway scourge' (Nefera), but the day she called Manny Taur a small sacked, china breaking whoremonger for dumping Iris minutes before an important fear rally was easily one of Deuce's favorites.

18- **Unwild**

Deuce was a wild card- he liked extreme sports, challenges and adventures, anything that could give him a rush (It was all in his blood, his mother often claimed with a wistful sigh). To consider him tamed just because he was dating Cleo De Nile should have been laughable, but he knew plenty of monsters used it to explain their relationship. It was amusing, since none of them knew about her snake charming ability - but screw what they thought. Loving Cleo was anything but _tame_, and he enjoyed making her happy. It was his heart she'd captured, not his spirit.

19- **Contraption**

Even with as tech reliant as she was now, Deuce still remembered a much younger Cleo who'd had a hard time adapting at first. It had been a shock waking up to a different world and so many new technological advancements. When they were in school together she'd still been resistant to certain new things. Glaring at the offensive item with puzzlement and asking how the _magic_ worked. It hadn't been helping her popularity climb, so soon enough she'd acquired a cell phone and an appreciation for Wi-Fi . Whenever Deuce mentioned this, she flushed and denied it. It was cute.

20- **Wrath **(Double)

'_No, it couldn't be.._.'

"A party? Thanks, Amanita's a big deal you know." It _was_. Cleo glowered, hands clenched tightly as she watched the ghoul she'd vowed to never forget strut her way over to the group. Her eyes fell onto Cleo, and a bit of mirth left her face. "_Cleo De Nile,_" she looked surprised, before a smile spread over her face again. "_Long_ time, no see." The playful emphasis rubbed Cleo the wrong way.

"Don't get smug. You have a lot to answer for." She hissed.

"You two...know each other?" Lagoona asked, looking as perplexed as the rest.

"Oh, Cleo and Amanita go _way_ back." Cleo inhaled sharply. "You could even say we were _tomb_-mates-" Amanita's head swung sharply to the left with the force of the slap, her mouth dropping open as she held her stinging cheek. The rest of the ghouls gasped, but Cleo paid them no mind. Only Deuce and Jinafire managed to look supportive, albeit confused. The dragon had a hand on her shoulder, gently restraining her. Cleo's face was the picture of poise, but her hands were shaking.

"Don't you _dare_, make a joke out of it. You don't have the _right_."

21- **Appurtenances** (Double)

She cried, twisting in the bruising grip that would've normally had the perpetrator's hands removed from his wrists, but currently served direct orders from their Pharaoh. "Father! Father please-" Her back was forced down onto the stone slab, her legs bound, and her mouth covered with strange linen wraps. The strips of cloth were oddly warm, making her body numb and lulling her into a drowsy state. The fight in her lessened, and one of the servants stepped away, allowing her teal eyes to lock with her father's from across the room. A sharp hook suddenly invaded her vision as she heard Nefera's muffled scream. _No_, this wasn't right, this wasn't how-! Hands reached for her again and a sharp knife pressed against her left side.

"-Babe!" Cleo shook herself from her reverie, turning to see her boyfriend walking over. Deuce jutted a thumb towards the fear trip group moving on. "I said they're going to the next exhibit. You coming?"

Cleo turned her back to the display case, concealing the sign describing the aged embalming tools inside as those used in actual mummification rituals. Normie museums _never_ got it completely right. "Hm? I'm coming. Just scoffing at the authenticity."

22-**Craft** (Double)

"Okay..." He didn't open his eyes yet, sensing that there was more she wanted to say. Soft hands caressed the sides of his face, fingers trailing over his shades. "_Now_. Open them." He frowned, his own hands coming up to grasp hers loosely as she pulled them off.

"Babe?"

"You trust me, right?"

"Of course, what-" Cleo's thumbs brushed over his eyelids soothingly, and he felt her moving closer.

"Then look at me."

"Cleo, no-"

"_Please_, Deuce?" He _really_ couldn't fight that tone. The one she usually refused to let see the light of day. Sighing heavily, already envisioning the guilt trip he was about to have, he opened his eyes.

Teal, the brightest shade, livelier than he'd ever imagined on her. His breath caught in his throat. "_Whoa_..." She was smiling, looking as breathless as he felt. "How'd you..." Her hand came up to grasp at an amulet around her neck. "...I've been brushing up on enchantments. Apparently I have a better talent for charms than curses and I _finally_-" He pulled her forward until their heads rested against one another, glowing green boring into her vibrant teal. Deuce let out a shaky laugh.

"You are the _best_ ghoulfriend."

23- **Inquisition**

Cleo always found it rather amusing that most, if not all of their friends thought _she_ was the irrational one when jealous. How was that fair? After all there were so many greedy ghouls shining their eyes at Deuce that it _paid_ to have a cursed idol handy. Everyone saw him as the laid-back, cool guy. Well, that was bound to change now, she figured. As Deuce systematically went down the halls, questioning every witness about the secret admirer who'd left flowers in her locker (and stoning the ones who gave him attitude), she sighed. They thought _she_ was bad?

24- **Flammability**

Heath was reckless and hard headed, the type that needed to make a mistake at least _twice_ before he really learned from it. With his powers that made a bad combination, which is why Deuce didn't spare him a gorgon stare whenever he felt he needed one. Heath was a good sport about that, so Deuce wouldn't _dare_ tell him that he instinctively put himself between Cleo and the fire elemental whenever he was riled up. Magical or not, bandages were highly flammable and he couldn't tell one of his bros he refused to take the risk of trusting him.

25- **Prowl**

There was a shift of movement on the right, and they stilled, laying low until they were sure they wouldn't be noticed. After a moment one crept forward again, slowly drawing closer to their unsuspecting prey. Just as it was poised to strike, a hand rose in front of their faces and snapped. Obediently, the snakes halted their hunt of Cleo's swaying earring. "Behave, dudes." Deuce warned quietly, pulling the sleeping ghoul beside him on the couch closer so her head rested against his shoulder. His troublesome snakes slithered forward to nestle themselves in silky, highlighted tresses, before settling down.

26- **Elaborate**

If one ever had a doubt about Cleo's natural ability to lead, all they had to do was observe her and Ghoulia when they were working together. It was impressive; the precise, elaborate way the two ghouls planned things out. Usually it was Cleo with the grand ideas and vision while Ghoulia figured out how it all worked. Whether it was shopping excursions to the Maul, fearleading routines or their day to day ensembles for a week long trip in Scaris, the royal went in with the determination of a great conqueror, overseeing battle with her tactician by her side.

27- **Mitigated**

There were few plagues on the list that could compare to a 5,842 year old Egyptian princess unleashing her wrath. When it happened you had to act _fast_ or face it. Kissing or hugging Cleo was one of the easiest ways to calm her down (attempting to talk over her was a fool's errand and you were doomed to lose unless you cut to the point _really_ quickly). Plenty of their friends could attest to this remedy, and they looked on awestruck whenever he played mediator to their group and pulled Cleo from the brink with just one kiss.

28- **Eloquently**

Sometimes ..._rarely_... it didn't _always_ bug him but...when they were out somewhere, and Cleo was speaking to some upper class hotshot or fellow royal, _Deuce _felt like the insecure one. The most elegant of words would spill from her lips and charm her audience with the grace of a practiced socialite; he'd wonder why she was with him. Alone, in the same eloquent tone she'd say 'I love you', and sigh happily when he said it in turn. If he could make her happy with the simplest of phrases, maybe he was fine the way he was after all.

29 - **Supercilious**

He supposed it was considered an insult to royalty to make them wait longer than was necessary, brush them off, or to make one repeat themselves. To commit all three crimes was like a death sentence. All he knew was that each time, Cleo's eyebrow would rise in a superior arch, her hands would naturally find their place on her hips and her lip would start to curl into a fierce sneer as she began in a clipped tone: "I _said_..." Deuce always winced in pity for the poor soul who'd attempted to pick a fight with the mummified princess.

30- **Indocile **(Double)

"No, no, more of a trill on the 'r'. When it's written like this? You have to enunciate like-"

"..."

"Deucey, there's no point if you don't try."

"..."

"Are you _listening_-" A pair of lips pressed against hers, a forked tongue teasing before pulling away. The gorgon sitting on her bed sat back and grinned devilishly, highlighting his _oh so_ distracting, handsome features. Cleo huffed, refusing to blush and let him win. She waved a hand instead to the open books in front of them. "_Isis_, you're incorrigible. How are you going to pass your dead languages test on Friday if you keep distracting me?" Even as she spoke he slid closer, wrapping her up in a strong embrace that was her kryptonite, thanks to those Greek arms of his.

"You're the one with the distracting mouth," Deuce muttered. His snakes hissed in agreement and Cleo gave them a _'you're not helping_' glare, but she couldn't hide her pleasure at the compliment. She was already stroking his cheek.

"You're _not_ going to tarnish my De Nile name as a tutor by failing, but don't blame me if you don't get any higher than a C." Deuce laughed.

"_Deal_," He kissed her.

xXx

*Pyramid actually causes me physical pain to read, as it was hitting the 350 word mark before I compelled myself to stop and cut it back down to 200 for a double drabble. There were so many lovely extra bits that really made the scene but I had to take them out. It would've been easier if it had stayed a simple 'Cleo falls off the pyramid and Deuce heroically catches his ghoul' bit. Somehow it transformed into this pre-relationship 'Deuce is paying Cleo way too much attention lately when she already has Clawd and she's starting to notice/feel the same way' thing. Pretty sure I'm doomed to start a fic over this because the ideas are pouring in. If anything I'll make that little snippet longer at some point.

*Attar is using the some flower language: Refinement/Maturity for Orchid, Desire/Enchantment for Roses, Innocence/Memories for Lilac, and Cruelty/Pain for Marigold.

*Wrath is what I wished would happen in Gloom and Bloom, and Appurtenances is because I'm cruel and like my favorite characters to be just a little scarred by something horrible.


End file.
